A Conversation Between Two Vorta
by Aurora West
Summary: Weyoun and Eris discuss current events. Follows the events of Sacrifice of Angels. Best read after Not Quite Paradise. Weyoun/Eris


Disclaimer: I own nothing. It's very sad. 

A Conversation Between Two Vorta

"And so the mighty Dominion ran with its tail between its legs."

"That's one way of putting it, yes." Weyoun raised his eyebrows at his companion. "Did you really need me to tell you this, Eris, when you clearly already knew what had happened?"

She laughed. "I'd much rather hear your account than read the daily transmissions from the listening posts."

"I can't see why."

"Because you'll tell me what happened."

"Hm. I had no idea you put such stock in what I have to say."

"Don't be silly. After all, you're the _liaison_ to the Alpha Quadrant. Don't I have to put stock in what you say?"

Weyoun smiled slightly, something he hadn't done much of in the past week. Since abandoning Deep Space Nine, he'd requested a leave of absence to spend some time on his home-world. He'd only arrived yesterday, and when he'd beamed down to the small house that the Weyoun line had always owned, Eris had been lounging on the porch. Not having seen each other in months, an embrace led to a kiss, which in turn led to other, more time-consuming activities.

Now it was morning, and the two of them had laid in bed talking for hours while the sun crept across the blankets. Weyoun hadn't had the luxury of doing so in months, not least of all because there was no sun for Deep Space Nine. He leaned back into the pillows and sighed a little. "I enjoyed Deep Space Nine. The people there were very…fascinating. It's a pity the Federation took it back."

"You don't think you'll have another opportunity to spend time there?" Eris asked idly.

Weyoun glanced sharply at her, but her expression was bland. "Of course I will," he answered, "when the Dominion wins this war." He paused and stared into space for a moment, and then added, "Whenever that may be."

"I hope you're not going to tell me that you got to be friends with the station's residents?"

"Oh, no. Nothing like that. They couldn't see me as anything other than the Dominion's representative. Given time, though, maybe…well." He smiled a bit wistfully. "As I said, it's a pity the Federation returned. Major Kira was really beginning to grow on me."

Eris laughed. "I thought you said Dukat's behavior towards her was sickening? Don't tell me you were beginning to understand it."

Raising an eyebrow, Weyoun replied, "Oh, make no mistake, Dukat was deluded beyond all belief about the Major--and other things. The way he carried on with Kira was revolting. Amusing, but revolting. No, I admire the Major for her obstinate forthrightness; her…inability to hide what she's feeling. And for the fact that she maintained her dignity in a most humiliating situation. But," he added, his eyes twinkling a bit with amusement, "I still like you better."

"Such eloquence," Eris remarked, rolling her eyes. Then, she asked, "I suppose she thought you were a weasel?"

"Most likely."

She stretched her arms behind her head and watched as Weyoun shifted into a more upright position. With a thoughtful gaze on him, she commented, "I think what amuses me most are the Cardassians."

"Ah, yes, well, they amused me, too, until they lost the station for us," Weyoun said sourly. "To think all those weeks, all those precious hours I wasted listening to Dukat's pathetic, self-righteous egotism. I _told_ him, time and again, that we couldn't afford to be overconfident. And did he listen?"

"No."

"I'm glad this story is so predictable. No. No, of course he didn't, and he had the audacity to accuse _me_ of being anhedonic." Weyoun shook his head. "Cardassians are, without a doubt, the most arrogant people I've ever had the misfortune of dealing with." He sighed, but then added in a somewhat brighter tone, "Of course, it _does_ make them so much easier to manipulate. Dukat made the mistake of thinking that he could predict the actions of people that he doesn't understand. Myself included."

Eris' eyebrows were arched. "Anhedonic? You?"

Weyoun offered her a small smile. "While I'm glad you find it unbelievable, was that all that caught your attention in the tirade?"

"That's just the part I didn't understand," she replied with a smirk.

"I suppose he just couldn't see that I had very little to be pleased about. It was hard enough to keep a pleasant expression on my face most of the time."

"I thought you _enjoyed_ Deep Space Nine."

"I did. But I had quite a bit to be concerned about."

Weyoun crossed his arms over his chest and Eris slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow, saying in a quiet tone, "Rightly so, from what you've told me. Placating the Cardassians sounds like a…demanding task." She looked up at him. "Now that Dukat's gone, what is the Dominion going to do about Cardassia?"

Weyoun chuckled. "Most likely, Gul _Damar_ will be installed as the new leader."

"Hm. A puppet?"

"Oh yes. Damar's an idiot; all his motivations are utterly transparent. I should have no problem controlling him."

Eris pursed her lips. "Perhaps. But surely it came as a surprised that he killed Dukat's daughter?"

Weyoun hesitated before admitting, "A bit, yes. Though his reasons for killing her were not."

Eris didn't respond right away, and when she spoke, she asked, "I wonder, Weyoun, what you would have done with Dukat's daughter had you been in Damar's place."

Flicking his eyes towards her, Weyoun clarified, "You mean when she confessed to being a terrorist?" At her nod, he raised his eyebrows in thought and slowly exhaled. After a moment, he said, "I suppose…I would have taken her into custody and had her executed. Why do you ask?"

"Curiosity. She was just a girl, wasn't she?"

"Yes." Weyoun mulled over his next words before continuing, "But girl or not, she was a terrorist."

"How very harsh of you."

"What _should_ I have done?" he demanded.

She smiled. "I'm not judging you. But I think you, maybe, would feel just a bit guilty about doing your duty."

"Well." Weyoun averted his eyes from hers. "She _was_ just a girl. I only spoke to Tora Ziyal once--Dukat gave a dinner party for her and invited _me_, of all people--and I was struck by her…naivety. Her innocence. She was…a fool. Her father managed to delude her into believing that he was the vaunted savior of the Bajoran people--that he was trying to _protect_ Bajor from the Dominion. Interestingly, I was the one taking a more lenient position with Bajor, but that's another subject entirely." He sniffed in contempt. "I almost pitied her, after talking with her. Everything she believed in was a lie, yet she couldn't see it." Glancing at Eris, he remarked, "I wouldn't have relished Ziyal's execution, but there's no doubt that she was dangerous to the Dominion. And there was certainly a benefit to her death--it drove Dukat mad and saved me the trouble of removing him from power myself." Shaking his head, Weyoun went on, "That man…I never did figure out whether or note _he _believed the ridiculous nonsense he spouted to his daughter. He thought he was so clever. He thought he could use the Dominion to regain his control over Bajor. That was all he wanted. Power over those poor, misguided Bajorans who just refused to see reason and believe he was anything other than a power-hungry despot." He laughed a little. "I pity them if he ever gets that control."

"Don't tell me he's crueler than _you_."

He looked at her, hurt reflecting very faintly in his eyes. "I'm not cruel."

"You don't think so," Eris said in an amused tone, running a hand gently through his hair to ease the pain from his expression. "But in case you haven't noticed, we have that reputation. We Vorta are only liked by those who can't see past surface appearances. And who wants to associate with those dullards?"

"But we're not so bad once you get to know us," Weyoun lamented, a hint of melodrama in his voice.

"I don't know about that. You probably are."

"All right, I get the point. Your opinion of me is dismal. Feel free to leave at any time." As Eris rolled her eyes good-naturedly, Weyoun smiled smugly and slipped an arm around her shoulders. "You know, you should really be kinder to me. I can only be here for a week."

"On the contrary, that's precisely why I _shouldn't_ be kind to you. You're only sparing seven days for me." She sat up in order to look him in the eye. "You'll be on Cardassia Prime?"

"Yes." He sighed. "I hope Damar isn't doing anything stupid, though I've come to expect it from him. I left him with strict orders not to take any offensive action until I return. And as I'm still not convinced he's capable of independent thought, really, that shouldn't be a problem for him."

Eris' mouth twitched. "Oh, you poor, long-suffering…dictator."

"I'm not a dictator yet. Just an ambassador."

"Planning on becoming one?"

"The Founder hasn't decided what territories will fall under my jurisdiction once we win the war. But no, I wasn't planning on it."

"That's probably wise; I imagine the Founders wouldn't appreciate it."

"I'd guess not. Now." He brushed a hand across her cheek. "I'm tired of talking about the war and Dukat and the entire mess. I'd rather think about something more pleasant."

"I think that can be arranged." Eris kissed him lightly, but it quickly deepened, and soon the two of them were far too preoccupied to even dream of talking.


End file.
